The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-03-24
ON THE CORAL. KEYS.
ODD CUSTOMS OF PEOPLE IN THE
e+. GULF OF MEXICO.

Types of Men that 1.-Two In Mutual Hate.
business Habits of the Residents Of
Fiat as - Pancake. %- --.z
Perhaps there is no place in the United
States SO much talked about in New York
and so little known as Key West. 1t is
generally associated with cigars. 1t is the
largest of series of coral islands, called keys.
which dot the o can at the southern end of the
peninsula of Florida. 1t is entirely away
from the mainland, which is only to be
reached by steamer. But Oh this coral reef is
a city containing 10000 inhabitants, consist
ing of COnclIs, Cubans and negroes, with
a few Americans. Perhaps the island has a
bright future before it, for it has had no past
and very little present. While other cities in
the Union have been up and doing, this coral
key has been asleep. in the gulf. 1t is the
mos southerly part of the Union-in fact the
very end of the United States. The city
is the only one in the country where neither
snow nor frost has ever been seen; the tenn
pcrature is about 20 or 50 degrees i'll the dey
and about Is at night Communication is
kept up with the rest of the world by means
of line of steamers from New Y Ork, another
from New Orleans, and mail steamer two
or three times a week by way of Tampa,
Fla BY the last we get New York papers
about three days old.
FLAT AS A PANCAKE
The island is as fat as pancake; the high
est point being only twelve feet above the
level Of the sea. One would think that during
a storm the sea would roll over the island and
drown out poor little Key West The city
proper is densely populated, but is unlike
i111aT icon, ,f.itN ln
are made of wood and built quite plainly.
There is no show of ornamentation or decora-
tion, to say nothing of what is called archi-
lecture. Once in while you Ilay detect
something that looks like lattice work but it
is plain, and is not intended to display any
thing. Many of the stores have no signs upon
or about them, and the Storekeepers look as if
they did not care whether they sold anything
or not. There are no hotels and those who
desire a Temporary residence have to hunt
about for boarding house.
When it is found the boarters would con-
slider New York boarding house, derided rs
it so often is, u palace in accommodation for
eating and sleeping compared to one i'll Key
West. The streets are wide and dusty, for
there are no sprinklers. In fact, water is
such luxury in the Cry season that it cannot
be wasted in sprnkling the streets. 1t is rain
water caught i'll cisterns when the heavens
furnish a supply. and is often carried from
place to piace in pals supported by a yoke
from tie shoulders. An attempt was one
time made to drive artesian well; but the
water when reached was 50 brackish that it
could only be used for the eXtingushing Of
fires. The dust flies continually. The road
way is hard, being the solid coral rock itself
There is no surface soil. What passes for soil
is nothing more than this rock ground up. 1t
is nice thing to have blown over new black
clothing, and still nicer thing TO get out of
the cloth afterward. As before stated, the
population consists mainly of Cubans, Conchs
and negroes The Conchs are in reality ma
tives of the Bahama islands, but everybody
i'll Key West calls them b, that name.
SOCIETY OF HATERS
The Cubans dsie!le the Conchs and the
Conchs detest the Cubans, while both together
hate the negroes. A happy state of society
may therefore be imagined. They arc as dis
tinct as can be, but their localities are known
Us Conchtown, Nggertown and Cuban vii
lage Each has its distinct amlsements, oc-
cupations and turmoil. The few Americans
seem always to be planning how best to get
away from the island. Cigar making is the
principal employment of the Cubans, and
there is plenty Of work for them, as Key
West contains 125 cigar factories. 1t is said
on good authOIICy JhaG SJ,tOu,OoU cigars are
shipped away from the island every year.
The Cuban is not very strong looking. His
sports are gambling and rooster fighting
The women are fairly good looking, g. ven to
wearing high heels, lace ShaUls and face pow
der Both men and women smoke and
chatter like magpies. They stand around in
crowds and make a noise more like a lot of
geese than human beings. Their food is prin-
cipally oil, pork. bananas and coffee. Their
coffee is good but made so strong that it will
stain the cup from which it is drunk. When
in a restaurant the Cubans appear to talk all
at once, each trying, as it were, to drown the
others voice and gesticulating as if about to
strike each other on the face. The odOr of
the Cuban restaurant is generally too strong
fo. the olfactory nerves of one brought up in
New York. The ConchS are the fishermen of
the island and the gatherels of sponges. They
are a large rough class of men and appar-
entity very ignorant. One marked feature is
their accent, which is considered the charac-
teristic of the Londoner-the dropping of the
asDirate where needed and using it excessively
where not wanted. They use their fists when
fighting, wEile the Cubans are too ready with
the revolver or stiIetto. The negroes en-
plOye1 i'll Key West, as elsewhere, i'll menial
labor, and are as lazy as i'll the other southern
states Together these three races form q
very mixed and far from harmonious society
one that is not likely to be met with any
where Else in the United States.-New York
Mail and Express. .-.H
A Glimpse at the Gar.
The reserve which for many reasons was
forced upon the present car while yet heir